Thermal module

ABSTRACT

A thermal module adapted for dissipating heat of an electronic component includes a heat pipe; and two mounting flakes mounted on the heat pipe. The mounting flakes are configured for mounting the thermal module on a circuit board on which the electronic component is mounted. Each of the mounting flakes is formed integrally as a single piece. The mounting flake includes a fixing body and two mounting arms formed at two opposite ends of the fixing body. The fixing body is directly bonded on the heat pipe. The mounting arms extend beyond the heat pipe and define through holes therein for extension of fasteners.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to heat dissipation, and particularly to a thermal module for electronic component.

2. Description of Related Art

It is well known that heat is generated by electronic components of electronic apparatus such as integrated circuit chips during operation thereof. If the heat is not efficiently removed, these electronic components may suffer damage. Thus, thermal modules are often used to cool the electronic components.

A typical thermal module includes a heat pipe, a heat spreader thermally attached with the heat pipe, a mounting board for mounting the heat pipe and the heat spreader on the electronic component and a plurality of mounting arms mounted on the mounting board for mounting the mounting board on a circuit board on which the electronic component is mounted. During assembly, a free end of each of the mounting arms is overlapped on the mounting board for extension of a fastener to mount the mounting arm on the mounting board. However, fixing the mounting arms on the mounting board with so many fasteners complicates an assembly process and increases a production cost of the thermal module. As well, the mounting arms overlapping on the mounting board increases a thickness of the thermal module, which causes an inferior adaptability to the thermal module when it is used in a thin electronic apparatus such as an ipad.

What is needed, therefore, is a thermal module which can overcome the limitations described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a thermal module in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the thermal module of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric, assembled view of a thermal module in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the thermal module of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an isometric, assembled view of a thermal module in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the thermal module of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an isometric, assembled view of a thermal module in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the thermal module of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an isometric, assembled view of a thermal module in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the thermal module of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a thermal module 100 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The thermal module 100 includes a heat pipe 10 and two mounting flakes 20 mounted on the heat pipe 10. The heat pipe 10 is used to absorb heat from an electronic component 240 mounted on a circuit board 200. The mounting flakes 20 are used to mount the heat pipe 10 on the electronic component 240.

The heat pipe 10 is flat and strip-shaped. The heat pipe 10 includes a flat top surface 11 and a flat bottom surface 12 opposite to each other. The mounting flakes 20 are mounted on the top surface 11 through bonding by solder or adhesive, such as Dow Corning SE4450, thermosetting adhesive high heat conductivity, EPORITE 2095 or electronic grade adhesive with high viscosity. A heat conductive film 40 is attached on the bottom surface 12 of the heat pipe 10. During application of the thermal module 100, the heat conductive film 40 is located between the heat pipe 10 and the electronic component 240 for decreasing a heat resistance between the heat pipe 10 and the electronic component 240.

The two mounting flakes 20 are symmetric to each other. Each of the mounting flakes 20 is formed integrally from a single piece of member and spans on the heat pipe 10. The mounting flake 20 is substantially U-shaped and includes a fixing body 21 and two mounting arms 22 extending integrally and perpendicularly from two opposite ends of the fixing body 21. The two mounting arms 22 extend towards a same side of the fixing body 21. The fixing body 21 spans on the heat pipe 10. The two mounting arms 22 are respectively located at two opposite sides of the heat pipe 10. A middle portion of the fixing body 21 humps upwardly to form a saddle portion 211. A receiving recess 210 is defined beneath the saddle portion 211. The saddle portion 211 of the fixing body 21 is welded on the top surface 11 of the heat pipe 10. The heat pipe 10 is received in the receiving recess 210. Each of the two mounting arms 22 has a distal portion thereof offsetting downwards to form a step. The distal portion of each mounting arms 22 defines a through hole 220 therein for extension of a fastener 30.

The two mounting flakes 20 are spaced from each other. The fixing bodies 21 of the two mounting flakes 20 are perpendicular to the heat pipe 10. The mounting arms 22 of the two mounting flakes 20 are substantially parallel to the heat pipe 10 and extend along two opposite directions respectively. The mounting arms 22 of the two mounting flakes 20 are located at two opposite sides of the two bodies 21.

During assembly of the thermal module 100, the fixing bodies 21 of the two mounting flakes 20 are welded or adhered on the heat pipe 10 firstly. Then the heat pipe 10 is placed on the electronic component 240 with the heat conductive film 40 sandwiched between the heat pipe 10 and the electronic component 240. The fasteners 30 respectively extend through the through holes 220 of the mounting arms 22 to mount the thermal module 100 on the circuit board 200 on which the electronic component 240 is mounted.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the heat pipe 10 is directly mounted on the electronic component 240 by the mounting flakes 20, each of the mounting flakes 20 is formed integrally from the single piece of member and mounted on the heat pipe 10 through bonding without any fasteners. Therefore, an assembly process of the thermal module 100 is simplified and a production cost of the thermal module 100 is decreased. As well, the thermal module 100 has a relatively thinner thickness. This causes a good adaptability to the thermal module 100 for using in thin electronic apparatus.

FIGS. 3-4 present a thermal module 100 a in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The thermal module 100 a is similar to that of the first embodiment, but differs from that of the first embodiment in mounting flakes 20 a. Concretely speaking, the two mounting flakes 20 a of the thermal module 100 a are respectively positioned at two opposite sides of the heat pipe 10. Each of the mounting flakes 20 a includes a flat strip-shaped fixing body 21 a, two connecting tabs 23 extending downwardly and perpendicularly from two opposite ends of a lateral side of the fixing body 21 a and two mounting arms 22 a extending perpendicularly from bottom ends of the two connecting tabs 23 respectively away from the fixing body 21 a. The fixing bodies 21 a of the two mounting flakes 20 a are mounting on the top surface 11 of the heat pipe 10 through bonding. The fixing bodies 21 a and the connecting tabs 23 of the two mounting flakes 20 a cooperatively define a receiving recess 210 a for receiving the heat pipe 10. The mounting arms 22 a of each of the mounting flakes 20 a are L-shaped and positioned at a same side of the heat pipe 10. The two mounting flakes 20 a are symmetrical to each other about a central line of the heat pipe 10.

FIGS. 5-6 present a thermal module 100 b in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The thermal module 100 b is similar to that of the first embodiment, but differs from that of the first embodiment in mounting flakes 20 b. Concretely speaking, the two mounting flakes 20 b of the thermal module 100 b are flat and mounted on the bottom surface 12 of the heat pipe 10. Each of the mounting flakes 20 b is U-shaped and includes a strip-shaped fixing body 21 b and two mounting arms 22 b extending perpendicularly from two opposite ends of the fixing body 21 b, respectively. The fixing body 21 b and the mounting arms 22 b are level with each other. The fixing body 21 b of each of the mounting flake 20 b spans the bottom surface 12 of the heat pipe 10. The mounting arms 22 b of each of the mounting flakes 20 b are positioned at two opposite sides of the heat pipe 10.

FIGS. 7-8 present a thermal module 100 c in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. The thermal module 100 c is similar to that of the first embodiment, but differs from that of the first embodiment in that the thermal module 100 c further includes a heat conductive plate 50 soldered to the bottom surface 12 of the heat pipe 10. The heat conductive plate 50 is rectangular. The heat conductive plate 50 is used to absorb heat form the electronic component 240. The heat conductive film 40 is attached on a bottom surface of the heat conductive plate 50.

FIGS. 9-10 present a thermal module 100 d in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. The thermal module 100 d includes a cylindrical heat pipe 10 d, two mounting flakes 20 d spanning a top side of the heat pipe 20 d, and a heat conductive plate 50 d mounted at a bottom side of the heat pipe 10 d. Each of the two mounting flakes 20 d includes an arch-shaped fixing body 21 d and two mounting arms 22 d extending horizontally from two opposite ends of the fixing body 21 d. An arch-shaped receiving recess 210 d is defined beneath the fixing body 21 d. The receiving recess 210 d matches a profile of the top side of the heat pipe 10 d to achieve an intimate contact between the fixing body 21 d and the heat pipe 10 d. The mounting flake 20 d is mounted on the heat pipe 10 d through soldering or adhering. The heat conductive plate 50 d is rectangular. A linear contacting recess 51 d is defined in a top surface of the heat conductive plate 50 d. The contacting recess 51 d matches a profile of the bottom side of the heat pipe 10 d to achieve an intimate contact between the heat conductive plate 50 d and the heat pipe 10 d. The heat conductive plate 50 d is mounted to the heat pipe 10 d through soldering or adhering. The heat conductive film 40 is attached to a bottom surface of the heat conductive plate 50 d.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A thermal module for dissipating heat of an electronic component, the thermal module comprising: a heat pipe; and two mounting flakes mounted to the heat pipe, the mounting flake being configured for mounting the thermal module on a circuit board on which the electronic component is mounted, each of the mounting flakes being formed integrally as a single piece and comprising a fixing body and two mounting arms formed at two opposite ends of the fixing body, the fixing body being directly bonded to the heat pipe, the mounting arms extending beyond the heat pipe and defining through holes therein for extension of fasteners.
 2. The thermal module of claim 1, wherein the fixing body is mounted to the heat pipe by solder or adhesive.
 3. The thermal module of claim 2, wherein the two mounting flakes are spaced from each other, the fixing body of each of the mounting flake spans the heat pipe, and the two mounting arms of each of the mounting flakes are located at two opposite sides of the heat pipe.
 4. The thermal module of claim 3, wherein a receiving recess is defined beneath the fixing body of each of the mounting flakes, and the heat pipe is received in the receiving recess.
 5. The thermal module of claim 4, further comprising a heat conductive plate thermally mounted on the heat pipe, and the heat pipe absorbing heat from the electronic component through the heat conductive plate.
 6. The thermal module of claim 5, wherein the heat pipe comprises a flat top surface and a flat bottom surface opposite to each other, the fixing body of the mounting flake is mounted on the top surface of the heat pipe, and the heat conductive plate is mounted on the bottom surface.
 7. The thermal module of claim 6, wherein a middle portion of the fixing body humps upwardly to form a saddle portion, and the receiving recess is defined beneath the saddle portion.
 8. The thermal module of claim 5, wherein the heat pipe is cylindrical, the fixing body is arch-shaped, the receiving recess is also arch-shaped and matches a profile of a top side of the heat pipe to achieve an intimate contact between the fixing body and the heat pipe, a contacting recess is defined in the heat conductive plate, and the contacting recess matches a profile of a bottom side of the heat pipe to achieve an intimate contact between the heat conductive plate and the heat pipe.
 9. The thermal module of claim 3, wherein the fixing body and the mounting arms of each of the mounting flakes are level with each other, the heat pipe comprises a flat top surface and a flat bottom surface opposite to each other, and the fixing body of the mounting flake is mounted on the bottom surface of the heat pipe.
 10. The thermal module of claim 3, wherein the mounting flake is U-shaped.
 11. The thermal module of claim 2, wherein the two mounting flakes are respectively positioned at two opposite sides of the heat pipe, the fixing body is flat strip-shaped, each of the mounting flakes further comprises two connecting tabs extending downwardly perpendicularly from two opposite ends of a lateral side of the fixing body, the two mounting arms of each of the mounting fakes extend perpendicularly from bottom ends of the two connecting tabs respectively away from the fixing body, the fixing bodies and the connecting tabs of the two mounting flakes cooperatively define a receiving recess for receiving the heat pipe, and the mounting arms of each of the mounting flakes are positioned at a same side of the heat pipe. 